Ventilating fan



Dec. 26, 1933. w. A. LENZ 1,941,037

VENTILAT ING FAN Filed Sept. 18, 1930 Patented Dec. 26, 1933 UNITED STATE-s oFFii cEij Y 1,941,037 VENTILATING AN: William A. Lenz, Lebanon, Mo. Application sentence 13.1930 Serial No. 432,833 A a claims- (crew-mp r The present invention relates, to ventilating fans or air impellers, and aims to provide a'fan or impeller of novel and improved construction for creating a current of air. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fan or impeller which will run smoothly andnoiselessly, as well as efficiently, andwhich may be placed over a desk or table without disturbing papers or other light articlesthat may be lying.

on the desk or table, the'fan or impeller deliver-. ing air radially in all directions about a vertical axis. g 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention residesin the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scopeof what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. w r

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereinz Figure 1 is a plan view of the fan or impeller within a cabinet, the cabinet and other portions 7 5.. being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken onthe line 2--2 of Fig. 1, portions being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a table or desk type of 'fanhaving a--double" impeller which is 3:; a slight modification of the double impeller shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a table or desk type of fan embodying a single impeller.

With respect to the device shown in Figs. 1 "353 and 2, this application is a division of, application Serial No. 375,475, filed July 2, 1929, the fan or impeller being employed within a cabinet 1 which encloses the fan and its driving means, and said cabinet may be of wood, sheet metal or other i suitable material, and is provided therein with the fan or blower casing 2 in which the fan or blower 3 is mounted for rotation.

The casing 2 is preferably of sheet metal and has a broad discharge opening 4 at the front of the cabinet 1, with the diverging walls 5 and 6 at the opposite sides of said opening. The casing 2 is disposed horizontally for directing a broad stream of air in a horizontal-plane, and the fan 3 is located nearer the wall 5 than the wall 6, and said casinghas a curved wall 7 connecting the walls 5 and 6 and spacedincreasing distances from the wall 5 to the wall 6, and the passage of increasing width between said wall 7 and the fan 5 11s in proportionto the increasing volume of air flowing'therein in the direction of-the arrows as 'seeninFig.3.. 'j

' The topof the ;casing.2 and housing 1 have an air inlet opening 8 and the bottom of said casing has an air inlet openingv 9, said openings being o concentric with the fan and of larger diameter than the fan so that the fan may be moved. through said openings into'and out of the casing. Moreover, the openings being as largeor larger than the diameter of the fan will permit unrestricted flow of air into the fan, to avoid noise dueto the inrushing currentsof air. The fan or blowerproper, or the rotor, is carried by a vertical shaft 10 whose lower endisjournaled in a stepbearing 11 on thebottom of; the cabinet, and the upper terminal of said shaft is journaledin across bar 12 secured on the top of thecabinet-over the opening 8,;said bar 12 being removable to permit the rotor .to be lifted fromthe. cabinet.

hubs -13secured by set screws or otherwiseon. the

shaft 10, and angle iron or other suitable spokes 1 1 are riveted, welded or, otherwise. secured to the collars 13 and are offset from theaxis of-the shaft 10, as seen in Fig. 1. There. are four pairs, of spokes, as shown, although there may be any suitable number according tofthe size. of the rotor. Fan-blades 15 of sheet metal or other suitablematerial "are riveted or; otherwise s e- 85, cured to the outer terminals of said spokes,;and rings 16 extend across said spokes and across the inner edges of, the blades. Said blades have forwardly extending portions or flanges 17 at their inner edges bearing against and preferably 5: secured to the rings 16, and it' has been found that such portions 17 are of advantage in dividing the air as said portions 17 move forwardly in advance of the blades 15, so thatsaid blades will throw the air outwardly from the rotor or impeller 1 more effectively, and said portions 17 also increase the air suction at the ends of the blades adjacent to the openings 8 and 9. Said portions 1'7 are curved to conform to the curvature of the rings 16.

The two streams of air entering the fan casing through the-openings 8 and 9 are separated by fiat segments or curved plates 18 having their ends flanged and riveted or otherwise secured to the blades 15, with said plates located between the opposite ends of the rotor or impeller.

The rotor illustrated is a double impeller in that air is taken in at both ends, and in some instances a single impeller may be used having a H disk at one end to which the blades are secured,

with a ring 16 at the opposite ends of the blades, and the spokes may or may not be used.

An electric motor 19 is disposed in the cabinet below the fan casing and is suitably connected to the fan shaft 10 for rotating the fan.

The rotor or impeller provides for a maximum volume of air current, without noise, and the air is spread across a considerable area. The fan may also be used with its axis horizontal, and may also be used as an exhaust fan. The .fan runs...

smoothly and noiselessly, as well as high efficiency.

Fig. 3 illustrates a table or desk type of fan wherein the motor 19 serves as a base, and a flanged collar 13' is secured on the, upper end of the upstanding armature shaft of the motor and has angle irons or spokes 14' secured thereon, a single set of spokes being used instead of two sets as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The fan blades. 15 of sheet metal or other suitable material are rivetedbetween' their upper and lower ends to the outer terminals of the spokes, the spokes having flanges secured on the collar or disk 13' and having upstanding flanges to which the blades are riveted or otherwise secured. The blades have forwardly extending portions or flanges 17' providing for at their inner edges bearing against and secured to upper and lower rings 16', said portions 17' being curved to conform to the'curvature of the rings 16 about the axis of the impeller as a center.

Flat segments or curved plates 18 are provided between the upperand lower ends of the blades, one end of each segment or plate being bent at an angle and secured to the corresponding blade and the other end overlapping and being secured to the lower horizontal flange of the corresponding spoke. The plates 18 are of a width substantially equal to the width of the blades, and

, jointly provide an annulus which is intersected by the blades and along the inner edge of which the flanges 17' are disposed, with spaces between the forward edges of said flanges and the blades in advance through which the air may flow out Wardly after flowing axially through the rings 16 into the impeller. a I

The fan may be operated on a table or desk to direct the air radially in all directions, to provide for efficient ventilation, without disturbing papers or other light articles lying on the tableor desk.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show double types of im pellers, in that air is taken into the impeller axially from opposite directions, while Fig. 4 illustrates a single impeller, including a disk or plate 17" secured on the upstanding armature shaft of the motor 19", with the fan blades 15 and a single ring 16" below said plate. Air is taken upwardly into the impeller and distributed radially, there being a tendency to direct the air upwardly from the impeller. The impeller, however, may be inverted, with the blades above the plate so that the air is taken in downwardly, and there is a tendency to direct the air outwardly and downwardly from the impeller.

If desired,a.suitable guard or cage (not shown) may be placed around either of the impellers shown in Figs; 3 and 4.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An impeller comprising narrow rings at each end of the impeller, leaving an intermediate radi ally unobstructed circumferential area therebetween, blades extending outwardly from said rings, portions extending forwardlyfrom the in-- ner edges of said bladesv and curved to conform tosaid rings. and .being of substantially the same width as the blade in an axial direction was todivide the inwardly flowing air; and segment plates between .the. ends of the blades and located between the blades, the said plates extending. inwardly only as. far as the said rings.

2. An impeller comprising a shaft, spokes. see,

ends open and a discharge opening in its side;

portion, an impeller comprising a shaft, spokes secured to said shaft, bladessecured to said spokes, curved portions extending; forwardly from the inner edges of, the blades, rings secured to saidportions, and segment plates between said blades located between. the, ends thereof, the said plates extending inwardly only as far asthe, said rings.

WILLIAM. A, ,LENZ. 

